IH Magazine Writers

Zoë Smith

Zoë Smith is a freelance writer and editor with a First Class BA (Hons) degree, two diplomas from the London School of Journalism, and TEFL/TESOL teaching qualifications. Specialising in travel writing, her 10-year freelance career has included working as a guidebook researcher for the Rough Guides, web content provider for Viator and TripAdvisor, and writing for Journeys magazine, CNN go, and the Telegraph.

Editing the Intelligent Horsemanship magazine brings together her love of writing with her passion for horses. As a dedicated horse owner, Zoë completed her Monty Roberts Introductory Certificate of Horsemanship in 2015 and continues to further her knowledge by training in classical dressage, attending a wide range of clinics, and competing in TREC, endurance, and showjumping.

Dr Rosie Jones-McVey (PhD)

Dr Rosie Jones-McVey has been working with problem horses since she was a young teenager, and became the youngest ever Recommended Trainer of Intelligent Horsemanship at the age of 21. In September 2012 Rosie and her wife set off on an eight month trip, starting in India and finishing in Argentina visiting horse people from every walk of life as they went. Her blog was read by over 10,000 people and featured in a number of magazines both at home and along the way. The blog was turned into a book called Globetrotting which was released in late 2015

Rosie has completed an anthropology PhD at Cambridge University investigating British horse/human relationships and has recently been teaching anthropology at Cambridge University, specialising in human-animal relations and ethics. Rosie has just started in her new role as a Junior Research Fellow at Cambridge University studying animal assisted therapy and British teenage mental health. Rosie manages to squeeze horse training into the university holidays and always prioritizes teaching on Intelligent Horsemanship courses

Dr Veronica Fowler (PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons))

IH Magazine Writer

Dr Veronica Fowler (PhD, MSc, BSc Hons), has spent more than 17 years leading research projects in the field of animal health and welfare, and has published more than 25 scientific papers in peer review journals, including the only two which have scientifically evaluated Monty Roberts’ methods using Monty as the trainer.

Dr. Veronica Fowler possesses an MSc in Equine Science and PhD in Virology. She has held scientific roles both at veterinary institutes (The Pirbright Institute and Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency) and non-government organisations (The Brooke) involved in veterinary based capacity development in developing countries. Veronica spent ten years working on large budget translational science projects primarily concerned with development and assessment of next generation novel molecular vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and their associated diagnostic tests.

Veronica is extremely passionate about progressing understanding of animal welfare using high quality scientific research, but is very concerned that poor scientific studies are being published in increasing numbers, and are being further disseminated in the equine press as fact without critique. In her new column, Veronica will break down some of the most talked about equine science studies and give Intelligent Horsemanship members a unique insight into why sometimes conclusions are much less conclusive than we might think…

Dr David Marlin

I am a PhD physiologist and biochemist with over 25 years experience in academia, industry and consulting

I didn’t start riding until I was at University (unless pony rides at Greenwich Park in London count). I have to thank a University friend Tanya Draude for convincing me to try riding bareback on a lovely Piebald Cob called Reg. I spent some time training with Judy Harvey (rider, trainer, BHS Fellow, early career trainer of Charlotte Dujardin) to whom I am also immensely grateful for really teaching me how to sit on a horse!

In 1985 I was given the opportunity to do a PhD at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket with Dr David Snow and Dr Roger Harris. I ran the first UK horse high speed treadmill study. Dr Pat Harris (WALTHAM, Spillers, Mars) was also a contemporary and we published a number of papers together. In 1989 I left the AHT to work for Luca Cumani (Newmarket racehorse trainer). Frankie Dettori joined the yard shortly after as an unknown apprentice and we often played football together (Frankie liked to play in goal).

In 1992 I returned to the AHT and became Head of Physiology and a Senior Scientist. In 2005 I left the AHT to setup various companies and run my own consulting business. My clients (that I can talk about) have included companies such as Polar, Haygain, Flair Nasal Strips, Spillers, Waltham, Pure Feed, Lincoln and HRP, Equilibrium Products to name a few.

Some of the notable studies I have run or been involved with include:

Atlanta Olympics Heat & Humidity Research
Advising the horse industry on equine transport
Lobbying the EU with WHW on welfare in horse slaughter transport
Consulting for the British Racing industry on horse welfare
Consulting for the FEI on horse welfare
Climate management for Beijing 2008
Consultant to British Teams 1994-2011
Member of the BEF World Class Performance Scientific Advisory Group 2006-2011
Scientific evaluation of Monty Roberts training methods
Review of thermal conditions during transport regulations for DEFRA
Consultant to WHW on watering advice for horses
Review of exercise and training material for BHS exams

I currently hold the academic position of Professor in Physiology at Oklahoma State University. I am the author of over 200 scientific papers and book chapters. I am past Chair of the International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology (ICEEP) and editor of scientific journal Comparative Exercise Physiology. I am also the author of Equine Exercise Physiology (Blackwell) and author of the Pony Club book All Systems Go.

Can you learn to be a Horse Whisperer?

And what is a "Horse Whisperer" anyway?! I think what we'd all love is to have a seemingly effortless "gift" with horses (and in an ideal world why not with people as well?) But is this possible? At Intelligent Horsemanship we think it IS and it CAN be taught.

Step ONE - Join Us. As a member of the Intelligent Horsemanship Family we will guide you. It will benefit the horses around you - and the humans as well!

How do I find out more?

Kelly and Intelligent Horsemanship run courses that have not only taken students horse handling skills to new levels but also their lives.